Through the rain
by Totally Kowalski
Summary: Oneshot from WATP- Skipper's point of view on how Private officially became part of the group. Takes place at the end of chapter 7 and beginning of chapter 8 of We Are The Penguins


**A/N: Takes place between Chapters 7 and 8 of We Are The Penguins (WATP) in Skipper's first person POV. If you think I should elaborate on another chapter or use someone else's point of view for WATP or any other, please let me know in PM or review.**

What were you thinking? If someone were to ask me at the moment, I wouldn't have been able to answer. A few days later, I would have said I wasn't thinking. Wait; do you know what I'm talking about? I'll explain.

This is the tale about how we officially became the team, but it wasn't a happy-go-lucky tale. I, Skipper, admit that I wasn't being such a great leader at first. This story takes place a while ago, before Private accepted his new name. It was around the time of that whole fiasco with Rico and the Facebook comment. Though we've since forgiven Barry, Kowalski and Private think I should input my view and so I shall.

It was a dark and stormy night- oh alright, I'll get to it!

…

Short breaths

Heart pumping

Muscles contracting and releasing

Sweat glands releasing liquid

Blood moving through body

Yep. I was definitely on a jog. I rounded the last corner and was headed back to the apartments. I successfully managed to keep up my daily exercise. Whatever my sister says, I do NOT have a spare tire. It's all muscle.

Speaking of sister, I ran into her in the lobby.

"Hey Skippy!" She said.

"Hi." I managed through my panting.

"How are you getting along with your team?"

I grinned as I saw Rico head up on the elevator.

"Pretty well."

"Skipper, I think you're too hard on Andre." Rocky said.

"Really?" I thought about it.

"Don't do anything crazy." Rocky said. "We don't want a repeat of what happened in Denmark."

"It won't."

Rocky rolled her eyes. "I tried to stop you and Hans but you went crazy! You almost hit me with a baseball glove and a half eaten pickle!"

"Yeah, but I plan on staying as far from Hans as possible."

"Please try to stay away from trouble."

I grinned. Rocky knew me so well. All of the sudden, I had an odd feeling. My gut was telling me I had to get to my room.

"Can we put this conversation on hold? I have to get to my room." I said.

Rocky mumbled something, but I wasn't listening. I hurried into the elevator, jamming my thumb repeatedly on the button.

"Sorenson, stop that racket!" Alice shouted. She probably would have added more if the doors didn't close.

Once the elevator let me off on the fourth floor, I headed to my room when I heard them shouting. I slid the key in.

"How could you leave him?!" I opened the door.

"He's not moving!"

"Who's not moving?" I asked.

"I KNOW NOTHING!" Barry screamed. He slipped past me before I could question him.

I approached my room.

"I didn't know." Andre squeaked.

I ignored him, my face turning into a scowl as I saw Rico and Kenny. Rico was holding Kenny by the shirt. Andre was inside the door.

"What's going on?" I said.

Kenny started shaking and I lightened up my expression a little.

"Kenny? Are you alright?" I asked.

Rico let go of Kenny and the kid fainted. Rico caught him and moved him to the living room.

I took three steps to the computer and read the message. Anger boiled at the pit of my stomach. I rolled my eyes and turned to the blond kid. We relocated to the living room.

"Private, what's going on?" I asked.

"Stop calling me that."

I growled inwardly. How dare he use that tone. "Don't talk to me that way; just tell me what you were doing on the computer."

I was half listening to his explanation, a mistake I would regret later.

"-Kenny pulled Barry off. Kenny screamed for me before so I think it's all Barry's fault."

"No, you let them into our room. Do you know what Barry wrote about Rico." I know I shouldn't have snarled like that, but I wasn't thinking at the moment.

"W-what? That's completely- I was showering!"

"Do you KNOW what that kid wrote about Rico?"

"No."

I whipped out my phone and showed him Facebook.

"Y-you think this is my fault?"

A small feeling wormed into my stomach at his teary eyes. I should not have done that, but the damage was already done. I turned away from him and looked at Rico.

"Rico, take Kenny back to his room when he wakes up. Mr. Davis is not to see him for the rest of the day." Slightly painful, but I ignored it. Again, it was something I was going to regret.

"Yes I can." I left him before the guilt could consume me.

I spent the next few hours with Rico, trying to get damage control.

Kowalski came back to help us. I thought I heard Private shouting at him, but I wasn't paying attention.

The rain appeared not to have been able to hold on any longer and the clouds burst. The rain was heavier outside as the mood was darker inside.

I know I shouldn't swear, but they kept coming out. We had taken pictures as evidence and deleted the comment, but others were using different means to get to him.

Rico screamed angrily as he ended the call from his soon-to-be stepmother.

Kowalski was on the computer, trying to quell the rumors. Social media had gone up in frenzy.

People were still commenting like crazy even though the original statement was long gone. The idiots of media were taking the chance to add their two cents that nobody wanted to hear. Julien was a pain especially because he and Rico had several arguments in the past.

We registered the sound of the door shutting loudly. Kowalski went to investigate and told us that he thought Andre went out to dinner.

The guilt punched me again as if to remind me it was still there. I scowled at it and burst into the room. A piece of paper caught my eye.

My heart pounded as I read the note. I threw it down and ran out of the room without telling the others where I went. I had to get there before it was too late.

A flash of blond caught my eye. He had seen me and panicked. Then he did the worst thing imaginable, he left the building.

In case anyone doesn't know, rain can be dangerous especially if it's freezing cold. Colds, Hypothermia, and floods can be some effects of long term rain. If it's dark and you're out in the rain, it's even more dangerous, more so if you don't know where you're going. The fact that he was running aimlessly in the freezing cold rain without a clue where he was going…well, it tore me up. It was my fault. I ignored the kid and he was about to get himself killed. I called after him, heart leaping even more as I realized that I saw him without his jacket. I caught a flash of blond under the streetlight as he ran into the park. I followed the sound of his feet slapping in the rain.

He didn't know there were several ponds in the park, one of which was close by. I heard a yelp and a splash. He knew there was a pond now. Heart pounding as fast as it could, stomach tearing me up inside with guilt, my mind racing a million miles an hour. I heard him splashing around in the water. I shucked off my shoes and shirt.

Soaked to the bone, I ran across the muddy bank and jumped into the water. Obviously, I couldn't see, but I felt a large object. My arms wrapped around it, feeling a panicked heartbeat. We broke the surface and I scrabbled up the muddy slope.

I pounded the kid's back as I tried to fight off my coughs. The rain had slowed to a steady drip, but I kept my attention on the kid. The city lights allowed me to see a small part of his face. His lips were a frightening dark blue and his cheeks were colorless. He looked as if he was dead.

Honestly, that scared me. It was the most frightened I'd ever been in my life. Not even my parents or grandfather could give me the same fear as I felt at this moment. What if he died? I killed him. It was my fault.

To my immense relief, he started coughing and he retched. It seemed an insane amount of water, but I felt happy to hear him breathing however ragged it sounded.

He opened his eyes and I tried to get eye contact.

"Speak to me, are you alright? Do you know your name? Home town? Do you know where you are?" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice.

"Yes." He said hoarsely. I felt relieved again. "From…Devon…UK…I'm in…New York…United States…"

"What's your name?" Why had he skipped his name?

"I…am…And-Private."

Seriously? After all this…he's okay with a nickname? I couldn't help a small smile that crept onto my face.

I noticed him looking curiously at me. I realized he didn't know why my shirt was gone.

"You do realize clothes weigh you down a bit, right?" I picked up his shoes to show him. I took a deep breath. "What were you thinking? You could have died. And before you say it, I do care. I don't want you to die because of me." I fought to keep the fear out of my voice.

"Skipper…"

"Skipper! Andre!"

I silently thanked Kowalski as he and Rico found us with a flashlight.

They helped me pull the kid up, but he was still weak and tired.

I pulled his arm around mine and held him steady.

Rico put a jacket over the kid.

"Thanks, Rico." I said.

"So you…don't…hate me?"

That did it. The final blow to my already guilt ridden stomach had been delivered with an extra side of pain. I looked at Kowalski for help.

"No, we care about you." Kowalski said. "Kenny's told me he's found a best friend in you."

"Some best friend…"

I pushed down my feelings. "Private, listen. We were just upset and confused so we took it out on you." I smiled. "You're a pretty good kid." Understatement of the year.

I felt better at the kid's smile. We helped him get dressed and into bed.

"All of this is my fault." I said. "Why didn't I listen to him?"

"It was all of us." Kowalski said.

Rico stared at the blond boy, hoping that he knew Rico didn't blame him.

"We overreacted. I want to have Kenny's account of what happened. But first, this one's going to be tired when he wakes up." I nodded towards Andre.

"What about school? We took down the comment, but many people saw it already." Kowalski said. "They'll tear Rico apart."

"Can I tear Barry apart?"

"Skipper, I think we have to let this run its course."

"After we destroy Barry."

"We need to know Kenny's side of the story."

"Then I can destroy-"

"No. You can talk and/or yell at him though. I wanted to come up quickly; I only had time to tell Barry that what he did was wrong."

I sighed and let Kowalski have his way.

He and Rico did some work in the living room, still trying to calm things down. I stayed by Private's side.

I put another blanket on him.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I'm not the greatest person…I almost killed you…but I promise to never let that happen again. I will protect you."

For the first time in years, I allowed myself to cry. No one heard me and no one knew. I wasn't going to break easily, but this was too much. I have to make sure we stay alive.

I might not be the best, but I can try. I will try. I cannot fail people again. Failure…no, it won't happen. I will not allow it.

I'm the leader.


End file.
